US2689906A - Ceiling heater and ventilator - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 21, 1954 Filed Feb. 10 195] J. R. CORBETT CEILING HEATER AND VENTILATOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

146M WWL,

A T OKA/EYS.

Sept. 21, 1954 J. R. CORBETT 2,689,906

CEILING HEATER AND VENTILATOR Filed Feb. 10, 1951 s Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

.?9' BY W razm Sept. 21, 1954 CQRBETT 2,689,906

CEILING HEATER AND VENTILATOR Filed Feb. 10, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN V EN TOR.

W45 flwM. ZUZ-wl, 74 64 444 A TTOCNE Y5.

Patented Sept. 21, 1954 CEILING HEATER AND VENTILATOB- Joseph R; Corbett, Cincinnati, Ohio, :assignor'to Nu Tone, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation .Of Ohio Application February 10, 1951, Serial'No. 210,422

11 Claims. 1

This invention relates to: a combination heater and a r circulatoradapted to, forcibly project -a stream of warm air downwardly from the ceiling of arroom for, a substantial distance so that the temperature ofthebccupied space or lower portion of the roomrmay be elevated in a rapid and convenient manner.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a ceiling .heater which will supply heat to the ,lower portions ,of a room promptly after the heater has been turned ,on. Heaters of the present invention .are particularly adapted for use ,in bathrooms or dressing rooms where the occupants are likely to be thinly clad, .and where it is necessary, for their comfort, to :raise the temperature above that normally prevailing. On

chilly mornings for instance when .a partially clad individual enters a cold bathroom, he needs immediate additional heat,.espe cially about his legs and feet. A heater of the present. invention is constructed .to promptly supply the additional heat which is needed, by forcinga column of warm air ,downwardls to within a short distance of the floor level'where it can circulate about the occupant of the room.

The significance of thisobject can be better understood from a consideration of the problems which are inherent in any attempt to supply heat from the ceiling .of a room to the floor thereof within a minimum time after the heater has been turned on.

If a radiant electric heater -mounted in the ceiling is used as the source of heat, a considerable period of time elapses before the temperature of the heating elementisraised sufiiciently to give'oif an appreciable quantity oi'heat. Furthermore, .a radiant heater is largely ineffective to warm those-parts of the occupants body which were not exposed'to thedirect heat rays; thus only the head and shoulders Would be benefited 'byithe heater while the feet and legs remain uncomfortably cold.

Nor can a satisfactory heating unit be constructed by merelymounting a conventional fan above an electricrheating c,oil,to force a stream of air over it, sinceaconventional fan tends to diffuse air laterally alongthe ceiling or direct it downwardly at only a small velocity, with the result that in either case the warm air does not reach "that part of the room where it can be felt by the occupant. Hence, until the warm air has had time to diffuse slowly into the room, the occupant receives no benefit from the'heater.

It has been determined that these difficulties may be successfully overcome by a compact heater unit having an axial flow fan which takes air in through an inlet passageway, reverses its direction of flow and forces it over a heating coil through an outlet passageway from which it is discharged at a relatively high velocity in a defined path. 'A column of air is thus projected a considerable distance from the heater unit into the room, after overcoming not only the resistance to flow of the heater unit itself, but also whatever resistance is offered by the mass of warm air rising from the lower regions of the room toward the ceiling.

The ceiling heater of the present invention is adapted to reside in .a recess in the ceiling, flush with the ceiling surface, an arrangement which greatly enhancesthe attractiveness of the installed unit,b.ut imposes several additional limitations upon the heater and fan construction. A heater which is to be mounted'in'the ceiling must be compact, for it ordinarily must fit between the joists, headers and other structural members. Additionally, due to the difficulty in reaching the unit, it is highly desirable that the heater construction be of such a nature that the unit can. be readily disassembled and the various component parts removed for any needed repairs or cleaning.

The presentyinvention briefly contemplates a compact heater unitcomprising concentric cylinders or shells, which'may 'bedesignated an outercasing, an inner baflle tube, and a divider vsleeveadisposed intermediate thecasing and the baffle tube. The upper end of the divider sleeve is'spaced downwardly from the top of the housing as in the inner baflle tube. A motordriven fan is so mounted that the fan blade arms rotate within thecasing above the upper end of the baffle tube, while angulated fan blades, secured to the ends of the arms, rotate in the annular space between the baffle tube and divider sleeve. The space between the divider sleeve and outer casingis unobstructd and serves as the air intake portion of the'unit.

Thus, air enters the inlet space between the housing and divider sleeve and moves upwardly but is then forced by the rotating fan blades to reverse its-direction of how and move downwardly through the annular discharge. space between the divider sleeve and baflle tube. An electric heating coil is utilized to heat the air circulated by .the'fan; preferably the heater is disposed within the annular space defined bythe inner baffle tube and divider sleeve so that as the air is forceddownwardly through that space, it becomesheated beforebeing ejected from the unit.

In the preferred construction, the shells serve as supports for the motor, heating element, and grill work, as well as forming the inlet and outlet passageways for the air. Consequently, the heater and ventilator may :be built as a small,

compact unit in which the motor and heating coil are disposed entirely within the air passageways, and, when the unit is to be disassembled for cleaning or repairing, disassembly is accomplished simply by removing the two inner shells as a unit without the necessity of disengaging a plurality of structural members.

It will be noted that the air passes downwardly through the annular space containing the fan blades which are secured to the ends of the blade arms. Since the fan blades extend outwardly from the end of the fan blade arms the entire blade surfaces move at high linear velocity, as a result the air stream enters the room at high initial velocity. The velocity imparted by the blades to the air is adequate to force a shaft of warm air a considerable portion of the distance from the ceiling to the floor and consequently the lower portions of the room surrounding the occupant are furnished with warm air as soon as the fan is turned on. However, when a fan blade is rotated within a shell or cylindrical tube, the axial movement of the air through the tube is much less than would normally be expected because of the tendency of the air to rotate with the fan blade rather than be propelled axially by it. To minimize the whirling tendency of the air as it is forced axially by the fan, the central section of the discharge passageway in the preferred construction is blocked by the baille tube, and additionally, straightening vanes are provided in the discharge passage to direct the air in a straight or predetermined downward course. The vanes, bafile tube and divider sleeve thus cooperate to produce a velocity stream of air which is directionally guided and which is substantially free of any undesirable swirling tendency. Near the end of its downward travel, the air spreads laterally over the lower regions of the room and hence the entire room is supplied with additional heat.

The invention further contemplates the installation of an electric light bulb and socket within the baffle tube, in order that the heating unit may constitute a lighting fixture for the room as well as a ventilating and heating appliance. Only one opening need be made in the ceiling and one outlet box provided for the heater unit and lighting fixture electrical connections.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a heater and ventilating unit which is adapted for use with a discharge duct so that the unit may be selectively used as either a heater or as an exhaust ventilator.

These and other advantages of the present invention will be apparent from further consideration of the following detailed description of the drawings in which a typical embodiment of the invention is disclosed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical cross sectional view of the heater unit.

Figure 2 is a bottom view of the unit with the grill and fan blade omitted.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken along line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a bottom view of the unit.

Figure 5 is a partial vertical cross sectional view of a modification of the heater unit adapted for exhaust ventilation.

Generally, the heater unit comprises a housing I0 which may be cylindrical for economy of manufacture and which, in any event, is adapted to fit into a recess in the ceiling I I of a bathroom, dressing room or the like. Disposed within and preferably spaced concentrically or evenly from the casing are a bafile tube I2 and a cylindrical divider sleeve I3. The divider sleeve I3 carries motor mounting brackets I4 which support a motor I5 above the baffle tube I2. The motor is provided with a vertically disposed shaft I6 carrying horizontally rotatable fan blade arms I! having angulated blades I8 secured at their outer ends. The blades are disposed near the top of the annular space 20 between the bafiie tube I2 and divider sleeve I3; also disposed within this space are an electric heating element 2|, and the air directing vanes 22. A light socket 23 and bulb 24, which may be operated independently of the heater unit are mounted within the baille tube I2, and a light diffusing lens 25 is provided over the lower baffle tube opening. The baffle tube I2 is sealed at the bottom by the lens 25 so that no air may pass downwardly through the tube.

In operation of the unit, air is drawn upwardly through the outer annular space 26 formed between the housing I0 and divider sleeve I3. Upon reaching the top of the heater unit, the direction of air flow is reversed, and the air is now forced downwardly by the fan blades I8 through the inner annular space 20 intermediate the baflie tube I2 and divided sleeve I3. During its downward travel through the inner annular space 20, the air passes over the electric heater coil 2I and. is warmed before being ejected downwardly into the room.

It will be noted that all of the air passing through the unit is forced downwardly through the annular discharge space 20. The narrow fan blades I8 rotating in this space 20 are rotating at a relatively high linear velocity since they extend outwardly from the ends of the fan blade arms I]. The air is thus given a relatively high velocity, which is sumcient to overcome the friction encountered in the heater and to cause the air to carry downwardly a substantial distance from the ceiling toward the floor. The tendency of the air to swirl and diffuse laterally, rather than pass in a straight shaft or column downwardly, is eliminated by the provision of the sealed baflle tube I2 which blocks any air passage around the central portion of the fan, and the air directing vanes 22 which are vertically disposed in the air stream to guide the air along the path which they delineate.

In specific detail, the housing shown in the drawings comprises a cylindrical shell II) hav ing a circular plate 21 enclosing its top. An opening 28 is provided in the housing wall to communicate with an outlet box 30 for the electrical connections necessary for the light 24, electric heater 2|, and fan motor I5 of the unit. The lower edge of the housing II] is provided with an outwardly turned rim 3| or flange which resides in flush engagement with the ceiling II. A plurality of ceiling mounting lugs 32 are secured to the housing I0 for mounting the unit in a ceiling recess by joining the lugs to joists, headers or other structural members. A plurality of louver mounting lugs 33 are secured to the outwardly turned rim 3| by spot welding or other similar means.

The divider sleeve I3 is disposed inwardly of the housing ID, in concentric arrangement therewith, and is removably joined to the housing, To secure a jointure between the housing I I] and divider sleeve I3, a plurality of inwardly turned feet 34 are secured to the inner housing wall, as by rivets 35, Each of the feet 34 is provided with a threade'd opening: 3'8 adapted? to 3 receiver a ibolt. 31. Similarly, outwardly turned; feet 381 are: joined to the dividersleeve I31 as by! rivets Mi, which feetare-alsoprovided with the2' threaded: apertures 4 adapted to: receivebolts 4-2. The: divider sleeve [3 is inserted into the housing; it; first rotating the sleeve untilitheieett 34c and 3.8.1 associated withthe housing and: sleeve" are out of alignment, then raising the sleeve: untilithe. feet 38 secured to the sleevev aretr: disposed above: the feet 34 secured to the-Lhousing, thenzrotating the sleeve until thetwo: sets of. feet are broughtinto engagement. whereupon they; are secured-in place by means ofsboltszfl.

The motormounting brackets M: are? secured: tothe divider sleeve I 3 by. means" of. bolts: 43': The brackets support the moton. l5; above; the bafii'e tube 12; with the.motorishaft"vertically disposed in coincidence with. the. housing. axis: A. plurality of fan bladetarins are joinedlto acollar implaceby a set. screw or'ssimila'rtmeans-.-v The arms I?! are providediiwith angulatedifanbladesr [8, either made integraliwithithe: arms 01: joined; thereto. The fan blades I8;.whichmotaterintthe: upper portion of the annular. discharge space, intermediate the baffle tube. l2: and. divider sleeve Iii-i are preferably curved in" order. to: achieve the best-aerodynamic results.

The cylindricalbaffleitubel2' resides". inwardly of the divider. sleeve 13 and is: joined" thereto'by a': plurality of air directing. vanes 22' which are welded or otherwisesecured'to the: inner wall of the: div-idersleeve and outer: wall of the bafiie tube;- Preferably, the air. vanes 22- are: radially disposed relative to the housingtaxislandrare substantially vertical. Their. function is; to reduce the" swirling tendenciesimparted to the air: by. the rotation of the fan blades.- The top edge of thebaflie'tube [2- is disposed at substantial distance below the top of the divider: sleeve lib-while the: bottom edge'of the tube'extend's below thedivider' sleeve andihousing.

A strap ls having upwardly turned endiportions 4 is-weldedor otherwise secured" to the. upper' end of'the baflie tube [2, anda: lamp socket 233 is-bolt'ed to this strap, with electric leads-extending-f-rom the socket throughan opening 28 in the' housing to the outlet box 30. A lamp bulb 24 is-= fitted into the'socket 23' and resides completely: within the well formedby the baffle tub'e it; A len's 25' is heldagainst the lower edge of the baffie tube by a ring 4% which is bolted to thebaflle'tube' l z and' which is providedwithan inwardly turned rim Ell-which overfits a lipi-l'provided onthe'cir-- cumference of the lens.

Aicircular'band 52', which supportsthe heating element 21, fits over the lower section of the divider sleeve l3. The ban'd'52- is secured in position by a. plurality of. angle members 53 which arewelded or otherwise secured-to the band- 52 and bolted to the feet 382 associatedwith the divider sleeve I3; A plurality of vertically disposed brackets 54; each havinga relatively wide: shallow'notch 55' formed alongzitseupperedge are" secured interiorly of the band 52.

Circular electricresistance heating element 25 rests in the notches and is. clamped in position. between thebrackets 5'4 and the-lower edgesofthe'vanes 22. The electric resistance heating elementzl may be constructed from anelectric resi'stan'ce wire suitably encased;- ina metallic tube. Sucha heating. element has theadvantagesthat there may be metallic contactbetween the" e1e-- ment and structural members Without causing a outlet box 3!].

' the" heating: element by permitting horizontal movement oft the coil whilefirmly clamping it" against"thewvanes totprevent its vertical. movement'.. The resistance heating element is connected: by: two conductors 56-5"l' to terminals The/motor leads. 6'|62 are also connected to terminalsfiaiand fifl while the voltage supply line. isconnected:acrossxterminals 581 and 63' through leads .64657 joining "the terminals. 58, es and? the. A fusible link 66 connects. terminals filliandifii; Thus, theifusible link 66; which is adapted: to. melt ifj safeoperating temperature i's'exceeded, .is placedinboth the heatinggcoil andmotor energ-ization circuit so that it the motor shouldcfail. while the heating element iszturned on, thetfusiblelink.willmelt, and thereby inter' rupt: the circuit tov both themotor and heating. coil before fire-roanv occur.

portion: of the band 52 extends below the 5 loweredgerof the divider sleeve and is adaptedto carry the grill 61; The. grill 51, which fits over the lower end. of the-discharge passageway, is formed from a plurality of concentric circular strips- 68- j oinedas by welding to resilient stringers- 10. Theresilient' stringers it have short bent; end. portions H adapted to reside in apertures. provided-in-theband so-lthat the grill may be snapped into place by. aligning the end portions with the apertures andallowingthe stringers to. expand outwardly. A plurality of horizontally disposed louvers T2 are joined to frame members 13 as by welding. The uppermost louver M which abuts the ceiling I I, is bolted to a plurality of lugs 33., securedto the lower. rim 310i. the.housing ID by. meansof boltsv 15.

If it-should. become necessary to remove the unit. after it hasbeen installed, the louvers 14. may; beremoved by loosening the bolts 15 and the feet Stand 38 securing the divider sleeveand baiiie tube disengaged by removing the bolts 31'. This permits the divider sleeve l3, bailie tube [2, motor [5, and heating element 2| to be removed as a unit for repairs and cleaning. Access to the light bulb 2c is obtained merely by removing the grill I51. This can be accomplished by compressing the stringers iii to disengage them from the apertures in the band 52. The lens 25 may be removed by loosening the bolts I6 and releasing the ring 88 which holds the lens against the baflie tube. The heating element 2| may be reached by disengaging the angle members 53 andv feet 38 by removing bolts 42. This. permits the band 52 to be withdrawn and" x with itthe heating element support brackets 54.

To reassemble the unit, it is necessary only to slip the band 52 over the divider sleeve 53 and raise it. upwardly until the heating element 2| is clamped between the brackets 54 and vanes 22; The band 52' is then secured in place by tightening bolts 42'and the grill 6'! is replacedby inserting thestringers 10 supporting the grill in the apertures provided in the band 52.

When'the heating element ill and motor l5 are energized, cool air is drawn between the louvers T4 into the inlet passageway 26- formed between thedivider sleeve 13 and housing it; The airpasses over the top of the-dividersleeve H! where its-direction of flow is reversed and it is forced downwardly by the fan blades l8- through. the discharge passage' 20 defined by the divider sleeve l3 and baffle tube I2. The air flow in the discharge passage 20 is directed in a straight path downwardly by the air directing vanes 22. The air is heated by contact with the heating coil 2| before it is discharged downwardly through the grill 61. The baflle tube l 2 forming the inner wall of the discharge space 20 is sealed by the lens 25 and ring 48 so that no air can pass downwardly through the interior of the tube and as a result an annular shaft of air is discharged into the room. Due to the high velocity of the air, this shaft extends almost to the floor level and is effective to transfer the heat supplied by the electric coil directly to the occupants of the room.

In the modification shown in Figure 5, the heating unit shown generally at 80 is provided with a reversible motor which may be controlled independently of the heating element. ihe top of the housing BI is left open and communicates with a duct 82 which discharges to the roof. A damper arrangement indicated at 83 may be provided in the duct to govern the flow of air therethrough. A ceiling unit so constructed is adapted for use either as a heating unit or as an exhaust ventilating unit. In the latter case, the direction of rotation of the motor is reversed from that normally used and the air is drawn upwardly through the annular passages and is forced into the duct 82 by which it is discharged to the air. When the unit is so operated, it is desirable that the heating element not be energized, hence separate control means are provided for the motor and heating element. When the unit is to be used for heating again, the damper 83 is closed, sealing the unit from the outside air, and the motor is reversed to force warm air downwardly as before.

Obviously, my invention is susceptible to many other modifications such as relocation of the heating element and the like which will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, I desire to be limited only by the following claims.

I claim 1. A ceiling heater unit comprising a housing, a baiile tube disposed interiorly of said housing, a divider sleeve disposed intermediate t; e baiiie tube and said housing, said divider sleeve being spaced downwardly from the top of said housing, a fan, said fan having a plurailty of radially extending arms, a fan blade mounted adjacent to the end of each of said arms, said blades being disposed intermediate the baffle tube and divider sleeve, a heating element, said heating element being disposed in a space defined by said ba'file tube and said divider sleeve, said baffle tube being closed at at least one end to prevent the flow of air therethrough whereby the effec tive to force the air between the baffle tube and divider sleeve forming a column of air flowing downwardly from said heater into a room.

2. A ceiling heater comprising a cylindrical housing, a baffle tube disposed interiorly of and connected with said housing, a divider sleeve disposed intermediate the housing and said baffle tube, a fan having a plurality of blades adapted to rotate intermediate the baffle tube and divider sleeve, said baffle tube having a light socket secured to the interior thereof, a lens positioned below said baffle tube in abutment therewith, said lens being adapted to transmit light but prohibit the passage of air through said baffle tube whereby the fan is effective to force the air between said bafile tube and said divider sleeve thereby discharging an annular column of air downwardly into the room.

3. A device for furnishing a high velocity stream of warm air, comprising annular tubes arranged in spaced substantially concentric relation to one another, the outermost one of said tubes constituting a housing, the innermost of said tubes being closed to constitute a baffle, and the intermediate one of said tubes constituting a divider delineating an intake passage between it and the outermost tube, and a discharge passage between it and the innermost tube, a fan supported from said housing and having blade members communicating with, the discharge passage at one end thereof, an electric heating coil disposed Within the discharge passage at an opposite end thereof a plurality of spaced air directing vanes disposed within said discharge passageway intermediate said fan and said heating coil, and the said outlet passage being in communication with the inlet passage within said housing whereby operation of said fan is effective to induce the flow of air through the inlet passage and forcibly project the air thorugh the outlet passage over said heater.

4. A fan and air heater unit adapted for installation at the ceiling of a room, comprising tubular members substantially concentrically arranged one within another in spaced relationship, the outermost tubular member constituting a housing which is adapted to be recessed in the ceiling of a room, a motor mounted at the end of the next inward tube within said housing and having a fan blade operable within the said next inward tube, the innermost tube of the series being disposed beneath said fan and being closed against the flow of air, the space between the housing and the next inward tube constituting an air inflow passageway, the space between the said next inward tube and the innermost tube constituting an air outlet passageway, a plurality of air directing vanes arranged in the air outlet passageway, each of the said vanes being fastened to the intermediate tube member, and the said innermost tube member being supported upon the inward portions of said vanes, the said air inlet and outlet passageways being in communication with one another within said housing above said fan blades, and an electric heating coil arranged in the air outlet pasageway whereby the operation of said fan is effective to induce the flow of air through the inlet passageway and to forcibly propel the flow of air through the outlet passageway While the said heater is effective to elevate the temperature of the air in its movement through the unit.

5. An air heater unit comprising, a housing, a baffle disposed interiorly of said housing, a divider sleeve disposed intermediate the baffle tube and said housing, said baffle tube being closed to prevent the flow of air therethrough, and said divider sleeve and baffle tube being spaced apart to define a discharge passageway therethrough, a motor mounted above the upper end of said divider sleeve, a plurality of fan blades secured to said motor and adapted to force air downward- 1y through said discharge passageway, said baffie tube being rigidly secured to said divider sleeve and carried thereby, the divider sleeve being releasably secured to the housing whereby the motor, fan blades, divider sleeve and baille tube are detachable as a unit from the housing.

6. A ceiling heater unit comprising, a housing, a baille tube disposed within said housing, said bafile tube being sealed to prevent the flow of air therethrough, a divider sleeve disposed intermediate the baffle tube and said housing, the space defined by said divider sleeve and said baffle tube constituting a discharge passageway, a plurality of air directing vanes fixedly mounted within said discharge passageway, a band adapted to fit over said divider sleeve, a plurality of brackets carried by said band and extending inwardly therefrom, a heating element, said heating element being clamped above said brackets and below said vanes, and a fan having a plurality of blades adapted to force air downwardly through said discharge passageway, whereby a column of warm air is forced from said unit.

7. A ceiling heater unit comprising a housing, a baffle tube disposed within said housing, said baffle tube being sealed to prevent the flow of air therethrough, a divider sleeve disposed intermediate the bafile tube and said housing, the space defined by said divider sleeve and said baffle tube constituting a dis-charge passageway, a

plurality of air directing vanes disposed within said discharge passageway in substantially parallel relation to the axis thereof, a heating element disposed within said discharge passageway at one end of said vanes, a fan at the other end of said vanes, said fan having a plurality of blades adapted to force air downwardly through said discharge passageway whereby the air is forced in an annular column from said unit.

8. A ceiling heater unit comprising a cylindrical housing, a baffle tube disposed within said housing concentrically therewith, said bafiie tube being sealed to prevent the fiow of air therethrough, a divider sleeve disposed intermediate the battle tube and said housing, the upper edges of said divider tube and bafiie sleeve being spaced downwardly from said housing, the space defined by said divider sleeve and said baiile tube constituting a discharge passageway, the space defined by said housing and said divider sleeve con stituting an inlet passageway, a fan disposed within said housing above said baiile tube, said fan including a plurality of elongate arms, angulated blades mounted adjacent the end of said arms and disposed for rotation within said discharge passageway, so that said fan is eifective to force air downwardly through said discharge passageway at a relatively high velocity.

9. A ceiling heater unit comprising a cylindrical housing, a baffle tube disposed interiorly of said housing concentrically therewith, a divider sleeve interposed intermediate the baffle tube and said housing, said baffle tube being sealed to prevent the flow of air therethrough, said divider sleeve and baffle tube forming a discharge passageway therebetween, said baffle tube and said housing forming an inlet passage therebetween, a plurality of air directing vanes secured to said baffle tube and said divider sleeve and disposed within said discharge passageway, said baffie tube being supported by said vanes, a plurality of feet secured to the interior of said housing, a like plurality of co-operating members secured to said divider sleeve and disposed for engagement with said feet, means for releasably securing said cooperating members and said feet to support said divider sleeve within the housing, a fan disposed within said housing, said fan being carried by said divider sleeve, a heating element disposed within said discharge passageway, and means associated with said divider sleeve for supporting said heating element.

10. A ceiling heater unit comprising a cylindrical housing, a bafile tube disposed interiorly of said housing concentrically therewith, a divider sleeve interposed intermediate the baflie tube and said housing, said bafiie tube being sealed to prevent the flow of air therethrough, said divider sleeve and baffle tube forming a discharge passageway therebetween, said baiiie tube and said housing forming an inlet passage therebetween, a plurality of air directing vanes secured to said baiiie tube and said divider sleeve and disposed within said discharge passageway, said bafile tube being supported by said vanes, a plurality of feet secured to the interior of said housing, a like plurality of co-operating members secured to said divider sleeve and disposed for engagement with said feet, means for releasably securing said co-operating members and said feet to support said divider sleeve within the housing, a fan disposed within said housing, said fan being carried by said divider sleeve, a heating element disposed within said discharge passageway, and means associating with said divider sleeve for supporting said heating element, said means including a band, a plurality of brackets extending inwardly from said band, means for releasably securing said band to said divider sleeve, said brackets being disposed beneath said heating coil in engagement therewith.

11. A ceiling heater unit comprising a cylindrical housing, a battle tube disposed interiorly of said housing concentrically therewith, a divider sleeve interposed intermediate the bafiie tube and said housing, said baffle tube being sealed to prevent the flow of air therethrough, said divider sleeve and baflie tube forming a discharge passageway therebetween, said baflie tube and said housing forming an inlet passage therebetween, a plurality of air directing vanes secured to said baflie tube and said divider sleeve and disposed within said discharge passageway, said bafile tube being supported by said vanes, a plurality of feet secured to the interior of said housing, a like plurality of co-operating members secured to said divider sleeve and disposed for engagement with said feet, means for releasably securing said co-operating members and said feet to support said divider sleeve within the housing, a fan disposed within said housing, said fan being carried by said divider sleeve, a heating element disposed within said discharge passageway, and means associating with said divider sleeve for supporting said heating element, said means including a band, a plurality of brackets extending inwardly from said band, means for releasably securing said band to said divider sleeve, said brackets being disposed beneath said heating coil in engagement therewith, said brackets, said heating coil and said air directing vanes being disposed so that said coil is clampingly engaged between said brackets and said vanes.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number

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